Law360's Pro Say - News & Analysis on Law and the Legal Industry Law360 - Legal News & Analysis

It is blockbuster Supreme Court decision season, and this week was historic with rulings on abortion and gun rights. On Pro Say, we’ll explore the court's most consequential expansion of the Second Amendment in over a decade. Also this week, we're joined by Law360 senior reporter Xiumei Dong, who's been investigating an alarming spike in data breaches at smaller law firms; we discuss South Dakota's Attorney General who was removed from office after he killed a man with his car; and, finally, we dive in to the website of a small liquor company that's been blocked from selling its whiskey using hilarious descriptions and names inspired by Lehman Brothers. 

If you want to hear more about the takeaways from the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, check out a special episode of our sister show, Law360's The Term.

In a packed U.S. Supreme Court term with blockbuster issues like abortion rights, guns and religion some other key cases may have flown under the radar. So this week, we’re joined by appellate pro and Mayer Brown partner Andy Pincus to talk about a trio of employment arbitration rulings you should know. Also this week, we discuss an industry first where a defendant was served via NFT; touch down on some wisdom from the Burton Awards which honors achievements in the law; and consider the habeas corpus rights of elephants.

The legal fallout from Larry Nassar's sexual abuse of gymnasts took a new turn this week as more than 90 victims sued the FBI for botching the early stages of its investigation. The claims add to growing scrutiny over law enforcement’s purported oversights that allowed Nassar to evade scrutiny for years before he was eventually convicted. But the victims' path forward is murky, butting up against legal protections for federal law enforcement. We're joined by Law360 senior reporter Jack Queen to discuss the latest developments. Also this week, we discuss a law clerk being removed from a high-stakes IP case because of their ties to Google; how a hold out juror led to a mistrial in a fraud case against a man charged with looting a $25 million fund that was supposed to pay for the border wall; and a look at a copyright dust-up over the new Top Gun movie.

For the last six weeks America has been transfixed by a defamation case between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard that featured dueling testimony about abuse. The salacious details dominated headlines, obscuring the legal strategies that allowed Depp to mostly prevail. On this week's show we break down the legal arguments and expected appeals with Jeff Lewis, a Southern California defamation and appellate attorney who co-hosts the California Appellate Law Podcast. Also this week, the acquittal of a former Perkins Coie attorney deals a blow to a Trump-era special prosecutor tasked with uncovering malfeasance in the investigations of the former president’s ties to Russia, and a Texas judge skewers the NFL retirement plan for refusing to grant more robust benefits to former players. Finally, the hosts break down a scintillating tale of corporate intrigue as two lovers are accused of conspiring to infiltrate a rival home mortgage company in Alabama.

A day after yet another mass shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead in a Texas school, a New York federal court issued a momentous gun rights ruling that upheld a state law allowing for civil suits against gunmakers when illicit sales of firearms cause a public nuisance. It’s a ruling that would have drawn eyeballs regardless, but its proximity to the tragedy in Texas further stirred an already feverish discussion about the strength of the country’s gun laws. The hosts break down the ruling and give a broader look at the gun litigation landscape. Also on this week’s show, Law360’s Boston court reporter Chris Villani stops by to discuss ExxonMobil’s failure to dodge a closely watched climate change lawsuit, and a California judge recuses himself in open court following a testy exchange with counsel over the defendant’s shackles. Finally, the destruction of a cheese wall near the southern border prompts a lawsuit, a settlement, and now, a discussion on the finer points of l’art du fromage.

The victims of the catastrophic Surfside, Florida building collapse reached a $1 billion settlement this week with a slew of defendants, resolving what could have been a messy, emotionally charged dispute with unusual swiftness that left the judge overseeing the litigation speechless. On this week’s episode of Pro Say, Law360 senior reporter Carolina Bolado drops by to fill us in on the details of the extraordinary resolution and what happens next. Also this week, in light of the baby formula shortage that has swept across the country, we catch up on Abbott’s attempt to reopen its formula production plant and other moves the federal government is making to get shelves re-stocked. We also dive into a spot of intrigue out of London this week, as an English court rebuked a former Dechert lawyer who leaked damning information to the government and press about a mining company’s alleged corrupt activities. Finally, we end with a fun First Amendment story about a craft brewery’s right to put a tiny penis on its label.